High speed copy machine

ABSTRACT

A high speed, compact, electrostatic copy machine mounting a roll of copy paper from which copy sheets are cut, and including a triangular copy paper path and a dog leg optical path interfitted in a narrow cabinet frame. A lens and mirror system in the optical path is shiftable so that originals of different sizes can be copied on one size of copy sheet. The original is flash illuminated by a xenon or flash tube lamp under the control of a trigger switch in the copy paper path so that images are produced without stopping the copy sheet. A control circuit holds copy paper in standby position adjacent the exposing station, and operates a document feeding unit to feed and hold originals adjacent the exposure window and deliver them in timed relation to the exposure window thereby initiating copy paper movement and exposure. Interlock, automatic clearing delay, and jam detection switches are provided.

United States Patent [191 Newcomb et al.

[ June 11, 1974 1 HIGH SPEED COPY MACHINE [73] Assignee: Apeco Corporation, Evanston, 111.

[22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1972 [2]] Appl, No.: 245,527

[52] US. Cl 355/13, 355/3 R, 355/28, 355/29 [51] Int. Cl G03g 15/00 [58] Field of Search 355/13, 3 R, 10, ll, 14, 355/28, 29

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,425,777 2/1969 White 355/28 3,463,584 8/1969 Trombetta 355/3 3,502,407 3/1970 Granzow et al 355/16 3,535,038 10/1970 Stievenart et a1 355/28 X 3,536,401 10/1970 Mason et al. 355/28 3,564,960 2/1971 Foulks 3.600.083 8/1971 Leedom 3,677,632 7/l972 MacDonald 355/3 Primary ExaminerRobert P. Greiner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolfe, Hubbard, Leydig, Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT A high speed, compact, electrostatic copy machine mounting a roll of copy paper'from which copy sheets are cut, and including a triangular copy paper path and a dog leg optical path interfitted in a narrow cabinet frame. A lens and mirror system in the optical path is shiftable so that originals of different sizes can be copied on one size of copy sheet. The original is flash illuminated by a xenon or flash tube lamp under the control of a trigger switch in the copy paper path so that images are produced without stopping the copy sheet. A control circuit holds copy paper in standby position adjacent the exposing station, and operates a document feeding unit to feed and hold originals adjacent the exposure window and deliver them in timed relation to the exposure window thereby initiating copy paper movement and exposure. lnterlock, automatic clearing delay, and jam detection switches are provided.

9 Claims, 28 Drawing Figures PA'TENTEDJumusn 3,815,990

sum user17 PATENTEDJUN 1 1 m4 sum 'usor17 PATENTEDJUM 1 mm sum 07 or 11.

PATENTEDJUN 1 1 :924

sum 090F17 PATENTEUJURH I974 v 3.815990 SHEET '12 or 17 HIGH SPEED COPY MACHINE This invention relates generally to document copying machines of the smaller, so-called office type and more specifically concerns a high speed electrostatic copy machine.

While office type copy machines have become a commonly used class of business equipment, the art has continued to expend considerable effort to reconcile the desires for a compact machine requiring little office space but which, when required, will turn out copies with great rapidity. Achieving these somewhat mutually exclusive objectives must also be accomplished economically for the resulting machine to be competitive.

It is the primary aim of the invention to provide an electrostatic copy machine which is quite compact but capable of turning out copies at high speeds; a representative machine being able to function at a 60-copy per minute rate.

A related object is to provide a machine of the above character which possesses the other normal requirements of an office copier, i.e., the ability to copy legal size as well as letterhead size sheets, having provision to copy bound or stapled materials as well as single sheets, and permitting the selection of a desired number of multiple copies from the same original.

It is also an object to provide a copy machine of the type described above with an original document receiving unit which permits the machine operator to check and position the document, face up, and then will automatically take over the original for rapid copying immediately after the desired number of copies is made of the preceding original.

Another object is to provide a machine as characterized above which feeds copy paper from a roll supply and embodies a fast acting paper cutter with interlocks for facilitating rapid cycling.

A further object is to provide a machine of the above type which includes safeguards for avoiding serious paper jams a particularly critical matter for a high speed machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a machine embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are complementary enlarged fragmentary plans of the control panel on the FIG. 1 machine;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken approximately along the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of a sub-frame slid outwardly of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, slightly enlarged perspective showing details of the structure on the sub-frame of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective from approximately the same angle as FIG. 4 showing some internal drive elements of the machine in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective similar to FIG. 6 showing another portion of the structure of the machine in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken approximately along the line 88 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective, somewhat enlarged, showing another portion of the structure embodied in the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevation of the structure appearing in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmenatary section taken approximately along the line 11-11 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a slightly enlarged section taken approximately along the line 1212 in FIG. I1;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged section taken approximately along the line l313 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary section taken approximately along the line l4l4 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective showing still another portion of the structure of the machine in FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a slightly enlarged section taken approximately along the line 17-17 in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective showing an attachment mounted on the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary section, slightly enlarged, taken approximately along the line l919 in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective showing yet another attachment mounted on the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately along the line 2121 in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately along the line 2222 in FIG. 11; and

FIGS. 230 through 23e are schematic diagrams of the control system utilized in the machine of FIG. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments, it willbe understood that we do not intend to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, we intend to cover all alterna tives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning now to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a copy machine 10 embodying the invention and including a generally rectangular cabinet frame 12 having hinged front access doors 13, a top front operators panel 14, and a document receiving and feeding unit 15 which overlies an exposure window 16 at one top end of the frame 12. The machine 10 is designed to cooperate with a copy sheet collator 17a in a manner to be referred to below.

Overall Machine Arrangement The machine 10 is an electrostatic printer utilizing copy paper in the form of a roll 17 and including a knife assembly 18 for severing copy paper sheets from the roll 17, a corona or static charging unit 19, an exposing station 20, a developing station 21, a drying station 22, and a lens and mirror system 23 establishing an optical path 24 for focusing the image of a document at the window 16 onto a copy paper sheet in the exposing station 20. The electrostatic system employed is that utilizing coated paper which is electrically charged, exposed to intense light which alters the charge in a pattern reflecting the light pattern received, surface flooded with a colloidal suspension of charged pigmented particles in a volatile dielectric vehicle that adheres to the paper in accordance with the established charge pattern, and then dried to set the pigment and drive off the volatile elements of the developer carrier liquid. The machine is also of the flash illumination type, employing a pair of electronic flash or xenon tubes 25 in reflectors 26 for intensely but very briefly illuminating the exposure window 16 (see also FIG. 1 l

Pursuant to achieving the objective of compactness and high copying speed, the use of flash lamps 25 makes it possible to expose a copy paper sheet without halting the movement of that sheet through the exposing station 20, the originals and copy sheets move in the direction of their narrowest dimension 8 /2 inches being the common U.S. standard, and the lamps 25 are positioned in planes perpendicular to the copy paper and are spaced the long dimension of the documents being copied, so as not to widen the machine, with one lamp 25 being positioned at each document end to give even illumination. These factors obviously contribute to copying speed and machine compactness.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a particularly compact machine is achieved by arranging the stations -22 and associated copy paper drive elements to define a generally vertical triangular copy paper path having a long substantially vertical drying leg constituting the station 22, a bottom substantially horizontal development leg constituting the station 21 and an inclined charging and exposing leg constituting the station 20, and having the optical path 24 define a dog leg which permits mounting the copy paper roll 17 in the angle of the optical path between the optical path and the copy paper path. The parts thus fit together with a minimum of wasted space, as can be best seen in FIG. 3, a flat exposing station 20 is positioned for receiving an image from the relatively simple optical system 23, a horizontal development station 21 is obtained which is well suited for utilizing liquid developer, and the long dimension of the cabinet frame 12 is utilized for obtaining the relatively long, straight drying station 22 which is particularly important for achieving adequate drying when copies are moved at high speed through the machine. It will also be apparent that this described disposition permits a large copy paper roll 17 to be utilized without increasing the overall size of the cabinet frame 12. As part of the overall arrangement, a power supply 27 for the flash lamps is conveniently housed in a compartment 28 at one lower corner of the frame 12.

Copy Paper Feeding It is a feature of the invention that the knife assembly 18, a rack 31 for the copy paper roll 17, and pairs of feed rollers 32, dispensing rollers 33 and exit rollers 34, parts of the copy paper path drive elements, are all mounted on a drawer-like sub-frame 35 supported on slides 36 for movement outwardly of the cabinet frame 12 when the doors 13 are opened (see FIGS. 3-5). The sub-frame 35 includes side plates 37 supporting the rack 31, so that the roll 17 can be simply dropped into place, and journalling the pairs of rollers 32-34. A drag plate 38 pivoted in the side plates 37 rests on the roll 17.

The paper web from the roll 17 passes over an idler roll 39, between guide bars 41 supporting a switch 42 which detects when the paper supply runs out and illuminates, in that event, a signal lamp 43 on the control panel 14, into the nip of the feed rollers 32, through the knife assembly 18, around guide members 44, between the nip of the dispensing rollers 33, between plates 45 supporting a jam switch 46 and a paper stop switch 47, and into the nip of the exit rollers 34. Preferably, the roller pairs are driven by a motor 48, constantly energized while the machine is in operation, mounted on the sub-frame 35 and coupled to the rollers 32-34 by a belt 49. The exit rollers 34 are constantly driven, and electrically operated clutches 51 and 52, respectively, selectively couple the rollers 32 and 33 to the motor 48.

As described in detail in the following Control Circuitry section, the stop switch 47 disengages the clutches 51, 52 when operated by the leading edge of the paper web, and the switch 47 is adjustably mounted (see FIG. 3) so that the web is stopped with the leading edge 8% inches from the cutting line of the knife assembly 18. When a copy is to be made, the knife assembly 18 is actuated and the clutches 51, 52 engaged to feed the severed copy sheet to the exit rollers 34 and, at the same time, to feed the new leading edge of the web out to the stop switch 47. If the jam switch 46 is not operated by thecopy paper within a timed interval measured from engagement of the clutches 51, 52, which would be indicative of a paper jam or improper feeding, the paper drive is interrupted.

Charging and Exposing Copy paper sheets driven by the exit rollers 34 pass through the corona charging unit 19 and onto a series of belts 55 trained around rolls 56 about a vacuum chamber 57 having slots 58 between the belts 55 so as to firmly hold, through air pressure, the copy paper sheets on the belts (see FIGS. 3, 6-8). The chamber 57 is exhausted by a motor-blower 59 acting through a conduit 61, and is held in the cabinet frame 12 by easily manipulated screws 62. As shown in FIG. 3, the blower is compactly nested inside of the processing triangle 20, 21, 22.

When exiting from the charging unit 19, the copy paper sheet engages a flash trigger switch 65 mounted on the chamber 57 just ahead of the exposing area of the station 20. As explained in the Control Circuitry section below, operation of the switch 65 with the leading edge of the copy paper sheet is effective to arm the charging circuit for the flash lamps 25 and, when the trailing edge of the sheets clears and restores the switch 65, the flash lamps are fired to project for a few microseconds an intense image on the still traveling copy sheet. Upon leaving the belts 55, the copy sheet, now bearing the latent electrostatic image, is engaged and turned around a drum 66 by a plurality of belts 67 mounted on rolls 68.

A main motor 70 in the cabinet frame 12, continuously energized when the machine 10 is in operation, drives through a belt 71 both the rolls 56, and thus the belts 55, and the rolls 68, and thus the belts 67.

Developing When the copy paper sheet bearing the latent electrostatic image leaves the drum 66, it passes image side down over a driven foraminous developer belt 73 soaked with developer fluid from a chamber 74 fed by a pump 75 in an underlying reservoir 76 (see FIGS. 3 

1. A photocopy machine comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular cabinet frame, a generally horizontal exposing window at one top end of said frame, means in said frame defining a processing path for a copy sHeet having an inclined charging and exposing leg, a bottom substantially horizontal development leg, and a long vertical drying leg, the legs together forming a path of right triangular shape in which the drying leg extends vertically upwardly along the side of the cabinet frame and with the copy sheet facing outwardly of the triangular path, an optical system in said frame defining a dog leg optical path including a mirror and in which the optical axis extends vertically downward from the exposing window to the mirror and then angularly downward from the mirror for perpendicular intersection with the exposing leg, a lens interposed in the optical path between the exposing window and the mirror causing the optical path to converge from the exposing window to the lens and to diverge from the lens to the mirror, means including a linkage under the exposing window and on the opposite side of the optical path from the exposing leg for reducing the image projected by the lens and mirror on the exposing leg and a rack in said frame for supporting a roll of copy paper in the angle of said dog leg optical path between the converging portion of the optical path and the inclined leg of the processing path.
 2. A photocopy machine comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular cabinet frame, a generally horizontal exposing window at one top end of said frame, means in said frame defining a processing path for a copy sheet having an inclined charging and exposing leg, a bottom substantially horizontal development leg, and a long vertical drying leg, the legs together forming a path of right triangular shape in which the drying leg extends vertically upwardly along the side of the cabinet frame and with the copy sheet facing outwardly of the triangular path, an optical system in said frame defining a dog leg optical path including a lens and mirror and in which the optical axis extends vertically downward from the exposing window and then angularly downward for perpendicular intersection with the exposing leg, a rack in said frame for supporting a roll of copy paper in the angle of said dog leg optical path between the optical path and the processing path charging and exposing leg, and a knife assembly in said frame for severing sheets of copy paper from a roll on said rack prior to having such cut sheets enter said copy paper path, said rack and said knife assembly being mounted on a subframe for sliding movement outwardly of said cabinet frame to facilitate loading copy paper.
 3. A photocopy machine comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular cabinet frame, a generally horizontal exposing window at one top end of said frame, means in said frame defining a processing path for a copy sheet having an inclined charging and exposing leg, a bottom substantially horizontal development leg, and a long vertical drying leg, the legs together forming a path of right triangular shape in which the drying leg extends vertically upwardly along the side of the cabinet frame and with the copy sheet facing outwardly of the triangular path, an optical system in said frame defining a dog leg optical path including a lens and mirror and in which the optical axis extends vertically downward from the exposing window and then angularly downward for perpendicular intersection with the exposing leg, a rack in said frame for supporting a roll of copy paper in the angle of said dog leg optical path between the optical path and the processing path charging and exposing leg, and a blower nested inside of the triangular processing path, the blower having a conduit for connecting the same to the drying leg for drying the copy sheets.
 4. In a photocopy machine, the combination comprising a cabinet frame, an exposing window at the top of the frame, means in the frame defining a copy sheet path having an exposing station, development station, and a drying station, a rack in said frame mounting a paper roll and having a knife assembly for severing sheets of copy paper from the roll, means including A lens and mirror mounted in the frame for focusing an image from said exposing window onto a copy sheet in said exposure station, flash lamps at said exposing window for brightly and instantaneously illuminating a document positioned in the exposing window, driving means for moving a sheet continuously from the knife assembly along said path, means for flashing the lamps as the copy sheet is moving in the exposure station and at the instant it is centered therein, a subframe for supporting the rack and knife assembly for sliding movement between an inner operating position and an outer loading position, the cabinet frame having a door, and means including an interlock switch for disabling said flash lamps when the door is opened.
 5. The combination of claim 4 including a latch for locking said door, and means for operating said latch so as to lock the door once operation of said drive elements is initiated.
 6. In a photocopy machine, the combination comprising a cabinet frame, an exposing window at the top of said frame, means in said frame defining a copy sheet path having an exposing station, a development station and a drying station, the stations being positioned in triangular loop formation with the copy sheet facing outwardly of the loop, means for feeding copy sheets into the path, means including a lens and mirror mounted in said frame for focusing an image at said exposing window onto a copy sheet in said exposing station, flash lamps at said exposing window for brightly and instantaneously illuminating a document at said exposing window, said flash lamps having means for arming the same and means for subsequently firing, driving means including drive elements for, upon actuation, moving a sheet of copy paper along said path with continuous motion, trigger switch means in said path just ahead of said exposing station, means coupled to the trigger switch means for actuating the arming means in response to arrival of the leading edge of a copy sheet, and means operated by the sheet for actuating the firing means when the sheet reaches its centered position in the exposing station, a rack in said frame for supporting a roll of copy paper whose leading edge enters said path, a knife assembly in said frame for severing sheets of copy paper from a paper roll on said rack, a standby switch in said copy paper path spaced from said knife assembly a distance establishing the desired size of copy paper sheets, said drive elements in said path between said rack and said standby switch being under the control of said switch so that paper is repeatedly fed from a roll on said rack to the point where the leading paper edge operates the standby switch.
 7. The combination of claim 6 having means including a plurality of jam switches for disabling said drive elements if paper does not reach the standby switch or the drying station within time intervals sufficiently long to permit normal operation of the machine.
 8. In a copy machine having a cabinet frame supporting a roll of copy paper and means for making copies from sheets of said paper, the combination comprising, a knife assembly in said frame including a fixed blade and an oscillating blade, a pair of feed rollers in said frame for driving paper from said roll between said blades, a pair of dispensing rollers in said frame for driving sheets of copy paper separated from said roll away from said knife assembly, means in said frame for driving said oscillating blade from a paper clearing position to a cutting position, means for operating said feed rollers including a first switch for disabling this means unless the oscillating blade is in said paper clearing position, and means for operating said dispensing rollers including a second switch for disabling this means until said oscillating blade moves to said cutting position.
 9. The combination of claim 8 in which said means for driving said oscillating blade includes a rotary solenoid having an actuating plunger and a cam and follower connection for converting linear moVement of the plunger into rotary movement of said oscillating blade. 